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Malpractice caps won’t fix what ails you, groups say

Public interest groups rallied on the Statehouse steps Monday to protest a work stoppage by doctors and their demand for a limit on malpractice awards.

The groups contend a proposed $250,000 cap on the awards will do little to solve the problem and only further hurt victims seeking compensation for malpractice incidents.

They were joined by the Medical Rights Bus Tour 2003, which is traveling across the country to press its objections to limiting malpractice awards.

That practice has failed miserably in other states, tour organizers said.

"Proposals to limit compensation to those catastrophically injured by medical errors will lead to more medical malpractice and do nothing to help doctors who are being price-gouged by insurance companies," said Joanne Doroshow, executive director of the Center for Justice and Democracy, which is sponsoring the tour.

"Moreover, they will disproportionately hurt the most severely injured Americans, such as seniors in nursing homes, quadriplegic workers and brain-damaged children."

"A cap is not the solution," said Bridget Devane of New Jersey Citizen Action. "There are going to be hardships. We want the doctors to stop blaming the victims."

Doctors say premiums that cost more than $200,000 for some specialists threaten access to patient care by forcing many doctors to retire early, move to states where premiums are lower or give up procedures that draw the most lawsuits, such as delivering babies and risky surgery.

Doctors throughout the state went on a work slowdown on Monday as part of their protest.
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